During our recent High School reunion, we missed the presence of Jimmy L and Sandy S. both very popular figure in our campus.  A startling news circulated among the group that the duo are in hot water because the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is running after them and a  tax evasion case was already filed against them.   They are business partners of a  big cargo forwarding and export-import company and apparently they are also “partners” in crime.  The BIR is determined to send tax evaders to jail that has been cheating the government, resulting to massive revenue losses.   Unfair to us who religiously pay our taxes which a law abiding citizen of the country ought to be.  And really it disheartened us knowing there are a lot of  people who are tax cheaters and our friends happened to be among them.

Why do we have to pay taxes?  Paying taxes are what lets our country be as healthy as is and it help fund the government.   Simply put, because it is the LAW!   And if you don’t want to pay, then go to other countries where taxes law is  non-existent.  Since we are law abiding citizens, we see to it that we pay our taxes on time and in the event that we failed to do so, we avail of income tax extension form that would help us get extra time to finish filing our taxes minus the hassles and guilt.

Only if we could only get hold of the two,  they have to hear the good news that there are available Tax Preparation Software that will guide them through all the way to a guaranteed maximum refund and companies such as Turbo tax is a sure help for personal and business taxes.

So, what they did was an unacceptable act and we their batchmates are hunting them too!

I knew it!   I know this former classmate of mine will be in “hot water” and I really can’t help but feel so sorry for her because she was neck deep with problems due to the tax evasion case filed against her.  Inspite of her very successful business and whopping revenues… she is a perennial tax evader. Scary!!!!   In a one to one encounter with her, she admitted that she failed to heed the advice of her lawyer to avail of the tax extension form 2010 provided her, to rectify her almost ruined life so that she can get out of the quick sand pulling her down.  It became habitual of her cheating the government….she started with avoiding to pay her taxes and did all kinds of tactics and strategies just so her tax bills will be reduced.   She thought that she can get away with her dirty tricks to the point of not paying taxes completely.

For some reasons ,her questioning heart always prevail, she kept asking ” if paying taxes really necessary” because apparently, she believed that people’s money are pocketed by corrupt government officials and are not used appropriately.  She is such a smart businesswoman, she perfectly know that taxes will help citizens for access to public schools, safe highways, health care, prisons services and for the country’s social services.  But during those times she was bent of  not paying taxes.  We even introduced a tried and tested, simple and user friendly features of tax prep software, so she will not concoct anymore excuses for not  wanting to file and pay taxes.   But unfortunately, even how insistent we were to help her – she won’t listen!

And now, we can hear her pleas… Is it our turn now not to listen?   We believe that she had prematurely dug her grave…. but seriously, she is criminally and civilly liable now….. And we hope she will not go to jail!